Skirt-measure.



NVENTOR ATTORNEY c, H. KESSLER.

SKIRT MEASURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 1, 19m.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

CLARA H. KESSLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SKIRT-MEASURE.

Application filed February 1, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARA H. KESSLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skirt-Measures, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to a skirt measure which is particularly adapted to be used by the person wearing a skirt to place-marks or telltales upon it at certain desired distances from the bottom; and my invention is directed to mechanical means whereby telltales, such as ordinary pins, may be fastened into the skirt at different points, such, for instance, as points in a common horizontal plane, to serve as guides in fitting the sln'rt to hang evenly at a proper distance above the ground. The particulars of my invention will be now pointed out and described.

In the drawings Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of my improved measure, taken at right angles to each other; Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 respectively, but shortened by the cutting out of medial portions, Fig. 4 being partly in section; Fig. 5 is a detail of the pin gripping mechanism, showing a pin in position therein; Fig b is a side view of a portion'of the same; 1g. 7 is a sectional view of the pin gripping mechanism taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4, looking to the left; Fig. 8 is a view of the pin gripping mechanism, taken on the line 88 of Fig. 3, looking'up; and Fig. 9 is a top view partly in section, of the pin gripping mechanism, taken at right angles to Fig. 7 looking to the right. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 are on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 6 is on a still more enlarged scale. Similar parts are designated by corresponding reference numerals in all the figures.

Two similar rods 1 and 2 are associated so as to permit of a slight, relative, longitudinal movement, their ends being held within caps 3, 3, each provided with slots 4, 4, in which slide the ends of a pin 5, passing through the slots and one of the rods 1 or 2, one pin passing through the rod 1 at one end, and the other pin passing through the other rod at the opposite end.

A coiled, tense spring 6 is housed in a recess between the rods 1 and 2, one end of the spring being attached by a suitable hook 7 to rod 1 and the other end by a similar book 8 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Serial No. 214,840.

to rod 2; so that the rods 1 and 2 are normally drawn along each other until the ends of the pins 5 reach the ends of the slots 4, as shown in Fig. 4, thus withdrawing the end of the rod 1 from the top of one cap 3 and the end of the rod 2 from the top of the other cap 3.

The members of a pair of gripping jaws are secured to the rods 1 and 2, respectively, preferably by means of set screws 9 and 10 threaded through the jaws and presenting their ends against the rods.

These members are preferably formed in the shape of bands 11, 12 surrounding both rods 1 and 2, the ends of the bands. if free, being deflected into a groove between the rods formed by beveling off their adjacent edges as shown at 13, Fig. 8. The band 11 is secured by its set screw 10 to the rod 2, and the band 12 by its set screw 9 to the rod 1.

The band 11 carries a housing 14, having a cross slot 15, centrally disposed, and a notch 16 in one end; and this housing accommodates a frame member 17 carried by the band 12, and having a transverse recess 18, one end of which, 19, is adapted to co operate grippingly with the sides of the slot 15 when the bands 11 and 12 are moved toward each other.

This frame 17 is also provided with a recess 20 at one end, a transverse slot 21 in each side at the other end, and lateral openings 22 in each side each provided with a seat 23 in its upper portion.

A latch 24 is carried by a pivot 25 secured in the housing 14, its arms lying in the slots 21 in the frame 17, the free end 26 of the latch being normally thrown up by a tense spring 27 stretched between an arm 28 on the latch and a point on the frame 17 The latch 24 is also provided with projections or arms 29 extending into the openings 22 in the frame 17, and adapted to be releasably held in the seats 23, 23.

The contraction of the spring 27 tends, normally, to draw the frame 17 along in the housing 14 until the pivot pin 25 reaches the bottoms of the slots 21, 21, in which position the latch 24 will be depressed, as shown in Fig. 7, with its arms 29 near the end of the openings 22, 22 in the frame.

If, however, the bands 11 and 12 are pushed apart, the housing 14 will carry the pivot 25 away from the point in the frame 17 to which the spring 27 is attached, also carrying along the latch 2 1 so as to draw its end 26 into the slot 20 and to allow the arins 29, 29 to be drawn upward by the sprlng 27 into the seats 23, where they will beheld by the spring 27. With the parts in this position, the shoulder 19 formed by the recess 18 in the frame 17 will be at the side of the transverse slot 15 in'the housing 141, and the shank of the latch will be raised somewhat above the ends of the slot 15; so that, if an object, for instance an ordinary pin, is placed transversely in the seat and pressed down against the shank of the latch, the latch will be depressed so as to throw its arms 29, 29 out of the seats 23, 23, and to thereby allow the spring 27 to draw the bands 11 and 12 toward each other, with the result that the transversely placed pin will be gripped between the sides of the seat 15 and the shoulder 19 of the frame 17 and detachably held in that position, from which it may be released by pushing the bands 11 and 12 apart, thereby separating the pin gripping elements above described carried thereby.

In practice my device may be used as follows :--If a lady desires, for instance, to indicate upon her skirt a certain definite dis tance from the floor, she will first loosen the set screws 9 and 10 and slide the bands 11 and 12 along the rods until the cross notch 15 registers with the scale on the rods at the desired distance from the lower end of the device, in which position she will secure the bandsby screwing in the set screws. The lower cap 3 is then placed upon the floor and the hand is pressed down upon the upper cap, the rods being of a suitable length to allow the lady to do this without bending. This pressure on the upper end of the device will slide the rod 2 down along the rod 1, carrying down also the band 11 away from the band 12, until the latch 24 is thrown up by the spring 27 with the arms 29 in the seats 23, in which position the parts will remain if the pressure upon the upper cap 3 is removed. The pin gripping aws are now open.

A pin is placed transversely between the gripping jaws, preferably with its head near one side of the jaws, and pressed down until the jaws close upon it as already described. The lower end ofthe measure is then rested upon the floor, with the pin adjacent to the part of the skirt to be measured, and the device is then rotated so as to bring the point of the pin against the skirt, and push it through and out again. The hand is then pressed down upon the upper cap 8, thus opening the jaws of the pin grip, releasing the pin and leaving it sticking in the skirt at the desired distance above the floor. This operation also leaves the jaws of the pin grip open to receive another pin, which may be placed in position and, in turn, pinned into the skirt at another point; and the operation may be repeated until pins have been placed in as many points as desired around the skirt.

By the use of my device, skirts and similar garments may be measured by the wearer without assistance, and definitely marked at the desired points with removable telltales,"

without injury to the fabric, and without the necessity of removing chalk or other surface markings which are apt to injure deli cate fabrics and which can not be used upon some kinds of material.

The device is simple and eflicient in operation, and, as ordinary household pins are used, no special equipment or telltales are necessary for its satisfactory use. It will be understood that the form illustrated is a preferred embodiment of my invention, but that variations might be made in the details of construction by the use of mechanical equivalents and the like without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is r 1. The combination, in a skirt measure, of means for releasably holding a fabric-piercing telltale and mechanical means for governing the point of operation thereof above a base plane.

2. The combination, in a skirt measure, of fabric-piercing telltale holding and releasing means and mechanical means for governing the operation thereof at a plurality of optional points above a base plane.

3. The combination, in a skirt measure, embodying cooperating jaws for releasably holding a fabric piercing telltale, of mechanical means for governing the point of operation thereof above a base plane.

4. The combination, in a skirt measure, of means for releasably holding .a cylindrical,

pointed and headed, fabric piercing telltaleand mechanical means for governing the point of operation thereof above a base plane.

5. The combination, in a skirt measure, of a gage, means, carried adjustably on the gage, for holding a fabric-piercing telltale, and means, operable by longitudinal pressure on the gage, for releasing the telltale from holding means;

6. The combination, in a skirt measure, of

operable by longitudinal pressure on the gage, for releasing the telltale from the holding means.

8. The combination, in a skirt measure, of pin-gripping elements and a plurality of cooperating, parallel means susceptible of relative longitudinal movement for regulating the distance of said elements above a base plane and adapted by such relative longitudinal movement to separate the gripping elements.

9. The combination, in a skirt measure, of means for releasably holding a fabric-piercing telltale, and mechanical means, adapted to reach from the ground to the hand of a skirt wearer when standing erect for maintaining the telltale holding means at a selected point of operation above the ground, said mechanical means being adapted for operation by the wearer of the skirt by pressure against the ground to release the telltale holding means.

10. The combination, in a skirt measure, of a pair of cooperating, pin-gripping elements, a pair of position regulating members, each carrying one of said gripping elements, and susceptible of relative longitudinal movement, and means actuated by such longitudinal movement to separate the pin gripping elements.

11. The combination, in a skirt measure, of a pair of pin gripping jaws, a pair of rods each carrying one of said jaws and relatively movable lengthwise, guides for said rods, and means actuated by the relative movement of said rods from an initial position for opening the jaws and setting them to receive a pin.

12. The combination, in a skirt measure, of a pair of pin gripping jaws, a pair of rods each carrying one of said jaws and relatively movable lengthwise, guides for said rods, and means actuated by the relative movement of said rods from an initial position for opening the jaws and setting them to receive a pin, and automatic means for returning said rods to their initial positions.

18. The combination, in a skirt measure, of cooperating gripping elements, means for holding such elements apart, closing means adapted to be actuated by the insertion of a fabric-piercing telltale transversely between the gripping elements, and mechanical means for governing the point of operation above a base line of said first named means.

14. The combination, in a skirt measure, of cooperating jaws, means for holding the jaws open, jaw closing means adapted to be actuated by the insertion of a fabric-piercin telltale transversely between the jaws, and mechanical means for governing the point of operation above a base plane of said jaws and for releasing the pin therefrom.

CLARA H. KESSLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

